Safety device for trolley-poles.



No. 757,630. PATENTED APR.v '19, 1904. P. MGGULLOUGH, T. BLANEY & R.BARON.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR TROLLEY POLBS.-

APPLIGATIOK mum JAN. 22. 1901.

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INVENTORS 04.1mm. wa -Imam, u. c,

UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

PHELAM MGOULLOUGH, THOMAS BLANEY, AND ROBERT BARON, OF LIVERPOOL,ENGLAND.

SAFETY DEVICE Fen TROLLEY-POLES.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 757,63O,da.ted April19, 1 904;.

7 Application filed January 22, 1901- Serial No. 44,276. (No model.)

To all whom it na/y concern.-

Be it known that we, PHELAM MoOUL- No. 22,958, dated December 15, 1900,)of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to safety appliances applicable for that classof current-collectors' in which. a rolling contact-wheel or the likemoves along in contact with the overhead wire of electric railway andtramway systems. As is well known, the trolley is supported against theoverhead wire by means of a pole, which latter has springs which keepthe trolley pressed in contact, and in cases where the trolleyaccidentally runs ofi the wire the pole' hitherto immediately flewupward by the force of the springs, and thus was liable to come incontact with the transverse supporting-wires or other obstructions Whichare liable to be met with before the car could be brought to astandstill or before the man in charge has time to reset the trolley bymeans of the loose cord provided for the purpose, and thus cause damageand delay. Now our present invention is designed to avoid these defects,and has for its objecta device which will automatically pull the trolleydownward below the level of the overhead wire should the trolleyaccidentally come out of. contact.

The invention will be understood from the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is afront view of the device; Fig. 2, a side view thereof, partly insection; Fig. 3, a plan; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the hollow-balldevice suspended from the hooks; Fig. 5, a vertical section through theouter ball; Fig. 6, end view of ball with one-half removed to show theinterior; Fig. 7, an end view of barrel, showing the dogs; Fig. 8., amodification of the device shown in Fig. 4.

A designates a rotary spring-roller or flanged barrel mounted on asuitable spindle or axis B Within ahollow ball C or other shaped objectalso mounted on the axis B; The weight of this entire mechanism exceedssomewhat the upward pull of the trolley-pole. Around the barrel A iswound acord E, which cord is secured at one end to the barrel and passesat its free end through a hole or slot F in the top of the ball C and upto the trolley-pole. (Not shown.) -The roller or barrel A is providedwith a coiled spring Z, which exerts suflicient power to rotate thebarrel and wind the cord thereon and take up the slack.

The barrel A and the ball O are provided with means whereby they canunder certain conditions be made -to interlock. Thus the barrel A isprovided with pawls or dogs N, and the ball is provided with ratchetteeth O. These dogs N are pivoted and coupled together by link P, sothat when a sudden pull is exerted on the barrel the dogs -N instantlyfly outward by centrifugal force and engage the ratchet-teeth O on theother part, and thus the ball and barrel are interlocked and moveupwardly together off. of the books 1 by the pull of the cord E. v

The device is supported in position by'the ends of the spindle B,resting in suspensionhooks I, Fig. 4, which are counterweighteol by thepart 1;. These are pivoted near the top of dashboard of the car tosupporting-uprights J, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which extend from being guidedin its descent by the guides, thus pulling the trolley-pole down belowthe level of the wire. The spindle B itself is prevented from rotatingby being provided at the ends with rollers L, which roll in the guidesJ.

M, Figs. 2 and 4, is a bar secured to the spindle B at opposite ends andbent so as to form a handle. This enablesthe device to be lifted by handfrom one end of the car to the other when it is desired to reverse thetrolleysuspension-hooks, the barrel A will rotate on its axis B and windup any slack of the cord or pay it out, according as the position of theoverhead wire varies relatively to the car, so long as the trolley rollson the wire, as the dogs N on the barrel will remain out of contact withthe teeth 0 on the ball. If, however, the trolley runs ofl the wire orgets out of contact, the cord E will thereby be sharply pulled by thetrolley flying upward, and the cord acting on the barrel will rotate itinstantly and cause its dogs to fly out and lock it to the ball, thuspreventing any more cord being paid out. This insures the device beinglifted off its hook I, whereon it previously rested, by the suddenupward pull or jerk of the pole. The hook falls to one side into theposition shown by dotted lines, Fig. 4, and the-device being thus freedfrom its support exercises its full weight to pull the pole downward,the weight of the device being arranged, as aforesaid, to exceed theupward pull of the pole. The device thus slides down the guides J to thebottom of the dashboard, being guided in its descent by the rollers Laforesaid, and the pole is pulled down below the level of the wire,where it can do no damage. It will thus be seen that so long as thetrolley runs on the overhead wire the barrel Will always pay out or takeup suflicient cord to allow for any difference in the varying height ofthe overhead wire or its position relative to the car. It is only theactual running off of the trolley and its flying upward that stops anypaying out of the cord and puts the device into operation.

Instead of the suspension-hooks I the hooks Q may be used, engaging theball itself, as shown in Fig. 8, instead of the spindle.

We declare that what we claim is 1. A safety device for trolley-polesand other like current-collectors, comprising a spring-barrel mounted ona suitable axis, a weighted hollow ball or frame within which thespring-barrel is mounted, teeth mounted on one part, pivoted dogs or thelike mounted on the other part, and a trolley-cord pass ing to thebarrel round which it is wound and attached at one end thereto, wherebyin ordinary use'the spring barrel will pay out or take up any slacktherein, while if there be a sudden pull on the cord this will give acertain movement to the barrel which will cause the dogs on the one partto fly out by centrifugal force and interlock with the teeth on theother part and so look the two parts together, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

2. In asafety device, of the kind mentioned,

the suspension-hooks pivoted to an upright,

frame or guide, a weighted hollow ball or frame supported thereby, saidsupporting device for the ball being arranged with a counterweight as tomove clear of the ball or its spindle, whenthe ball is raisedsufliciently to liberate it substantially as described.

3. In a safety device, of the kind mentioned, a bar attached to thespindle at each end, and bent upward at the center to form a handle bywhich the device can be carried, whereby the barrel-spring is preventedfrom coming unwound, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names, this 11th day ofJanuary, 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'PHELAM MOCULLOUGH. THOMAS BLANEY. ROBERT BARON.

Witnesses K I G. O. DYMOND, F. P. EVANS.

